Automatic door closer



Dec. 30, 1930. H. w. SHQNNARD AUToMATIc DooR cLosEn Filed Nov. 2, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet, 1

. @Mom i Dec. 30, 1930. H. w. sl-ioxnlmn AUTOMATIC DOOR CLOSER Filed Nov. 2, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet, 2

f, www@ Dec. 30, 1930. "l-l. w. sHoNNARD 1,786,782

AUTOMATIC DOOR CLOSER Filed Nov. 2, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet, 5

@31g abme/13 Patented Dec. 30, 1930 HAROLD r1V. SHONNARI), OF MONTGLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO ELEVATOR SUP- PLIES COMPANY, INC., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY AUTOMATIC noon CLOSER Application led November 2, 19,25.` Serial No. 66,206.

The V present invention relates to a novel form of door opener, preferably combined with a check to preventslamming of the door on opening or closing', or both. The

5 invention is particularly useful in connection with the sliding doors vused at elevator landings, and will-be hereinafter described as used in that connection, although lit is to be understood that the invention is not limited g to elevator installat-ions.y

In order that a door` closing spring of reasonable rigidity and length may be conveniently utilized for the heavy work involved in moving large sliding doors, without exceeding its elastic limit, it is desirable to cause such aspring to act through a gear train affording speed reduction with consequent increase of effective effort. At the same time,vin many locations, and particu- 0 larly in elevator installations of the kind referred to above, there is'very little space available for the accommodation of appa ratus for Vclosing and checking the doors in a manner consistent with simplicity of de- 5 sign and economy of labor in installation.

The present invention provides means whereby the necessary increase of effort is imparted to the activating spring in a practical manner entirely consistent with: the space restrictionfabove mentioned, and at the same timeumakes it possible to assemble the principal elements of the door closer at the factory, so as to limit the chances of mistakes and expensive delays in putting up the apparatusin an elevator shaft or other locan tion. v

The invention is illustrated in a preferred form in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a View in elevation of the'invention as applied to a sliding door on an elevator, Figure 2 is a similar but partial view of the same, showing the position of the parts with the door open, Figure 3 is la top plan view of the door closer by itself,

as Figure 4 is a sectional view ofthe same taken upon the line 4-4 in Figure' 1, and Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 5 5 in Figure 4. f

The sliding door 10 is suspended from a support 11 carried by hangers 12 which roll in a well known manner along the guide rail 13. The attachment of thedoor 10 to the support 11 comprises apivotal connection 14, and a catchll, so that, when formed desirable, the door may be swung out of its normal plane of movement to free the door opening.

The opening of the Vdoor is `(inl the form shown) accomplished manually by meansy of two toggle-arms v16 and 17, pivotally joined vat 18. The extremity of the arin17 is pivota'llysupported by abracket 19, while the arm 16 is pivoted between its ends upon a pin 20, fixed to the door 10. The specific kmode of attachment of the arm 16 to the door 1() is one adapted to disconnectiony of said Varm from thedoor at will, as described and claimed in my Patent No. 1,684,893, Sept. 18,y 1928, and this forms no part of the present invention.`

The door closer, preferably combined with a door check, is preferably bolted ator near the extremity of the guide rail 13, above the bracket 19, v as shown in Figures 1 and 2. This arrangement is preferred, asfit makes it possible to assemble the guide railand door `closer once for all at the factory. It will be within the invention, however, tofix the door closer tothe wall that carries the rail 13.

The immediate operation of the 'toggle Varms, is preferably accomplished by means of a bar 21, pivotally attached at its lower end to a downward extension 22 at one end of the toggle-arm 17, and at its upper end to the end of the swinging operating arm 23 of the door closer. n

The arrangement and mode of operation of this operating arm 23 are clearly shown'in Figures 3, 4 and 5.

Within a suitable casing 24, a spiral operating spring'25 is arranged so as to tend to turn the vertical shaft 26 in yone direction,

serving to lpush the door 1() toward the left, or in the closed position, in Figure 1.

Fixed upon the top of the shaft 26 is a geared sector 27. The operatingarm 23 is mounted rotatably upon a stub shaft 28 on one side of the casing 24, and is also provided with a geared sector 29. The sector 27 turns in a horizontal plane and the sector 29 in a vertical plane.

y'Between these sectors, and set at an angle of forty-five degrees to the horizon, there is mounted in the casing 24 a revoluble shaft 30 carrying fixed thereon the mitered gear 31, which meshes with both sectors 27 and 29, and serves to communicate motion from the v spring 25 to the arm 23 for closing the door. Byadopting this combination of gears, the

spring may be given an increased effective4 ratio of effort of two or three to oneor any convenient ratio may be adopted. 'At the same time, the Whole door closer occupies no more space than it would were the spring mounted upon a horizontal shaft applied directly to the supporting `pivot of the toggle-v ffirm 17, without any increase of efl'ectiveefort. v

At the same time, the arrangement described makes it possible tocombine with the door closer a simple form of liquid check for prelilfenting slamming in opening or closing ror For this purpose the lower end of the shaft 26 is furnished with a pinion 32 meshing 'with a rack 33 on the side of a plunger 34. This plunger is provided with an axial passage-35, having automatic ball valves 86 and it 1s moved back and forth within a cylinder 37 b the pinion 32 yin a. Well known manner.

T e checking operation is produced in a manner Well known by a body of liquid driven by ythe plunger 34 through vents 38 at the two ends of the cylinder 37, which vents are controlled by needle-valves 39, for adjusting the degreeof retardation to check slamming. l In opening the door 10, the left hand end ofthe toggle-arm 16 is pushed down and the parts are brought into the position shown in Figure 2. This winds up the spring 25. Upon releasing the arm 16, the spring 25 acts through the gears'27, 3l and 29, the arm 23, bar 21 and extension 22 to swing the toggle arm 17 anti-clockwise in Figure 2, thereby straightening the toggle joint and closing the door as shown in Figure l. y

The motive force for revolving the shaft 26 of the door closer need not necessarily be a spring, as my broad invention covers any motive force employed for this purpose; and 5U in general a Variety of changes may be made in this construction without departing from the invention, which is not limited to the details herein shown and described.

f Vhat I claim isy 1. An automatic closing device vfor slidingr doors comprising a vertical shaftprovided with a toothed sector, an operating arm hav- .ing a toothed sector adapted to swing in a vertical plane, an intermediate beveled gear meshing with said two toothed sectors and motive means for said vertical shaft.

2. In combination with a door andtoggle arms adapted to move the same back and ill) ' spindle,

signature table in a vertical plane operatively connected With said toggle arms, a vertical shaft adapted to be turned by said spring, and speed reducing gearing between said verti al shaft and operating arm.

3. In combination, a sliding elevator shaft door, a supporting rail on whichY said door slides, toggle arms for operating said door, a spring operated door closer, said closer having anv operating arm rotatable in a vertical plane'operat'ively connected with said toggle arms and also having a vertical shaft adapted to be turned by said spring and speed reducing gearing between said vertical shaft and operating arm; said door closer being mounted above the door outside of said rail, said door being arranged to slide beneath the door closer.

e 4. In combination, a sliding elevator shaft door and an automatic closing device for said door comprising a vertical shaft, a spring for rotating the same, a horizontal shaft operatively connected with said vertical shaft, and means operativelyconnected With said horizontal shaft for moving said sliding door. Y n

5. In combination a sliding door, togglearms connected to said door and to a fixed part, said toggles swinging in a plane alongside said door, a link connected at one end to one of said toggle arms, a pivoted arm con- .nected to the other end of said link, said arm swinging in a plane parallel to the plane in which saidV toggle-levers swing, a vertical spindle, speed reducing gearing connecting saidl spindle and arm, including a gear-segment of said arm, and a spiral spring around said spindle, adapted to betensioned by and react upon said spindle, to oppose-and assist the opening and closing of said door.

6. A combination according to claim' 5, further including a checking means, com prising va piston and a gear connection between said spindle and piston.

7. Slidingshaft-door operating comprising a casing, a spindle, a spiral spring around said spindle, said spring being attached to said spindle and to said casing, checking means comprising a pinion on said spindle, a piston moving tangentially to said pinion, teeth on said piston meshing with said pinion, and means for transmitting the force of said spring to a door, comprising a toothed segment pivoted on an axis normal to said spindle, a second pinion on said and an intermediate gear connecting said toothed segment and said last-named spindle. Y

In testimony whereof I hereto aiiix my on this 26th day of October, 1925. n HAROLD NV. SHONNARD.

forthv'in its own plane; a spring-operated p.

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